"Bc14" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry & Pournelle)

"As to what we were doing, that is the business of the Star Born. The Second, if you like that term better. But we are all adults, and the nature of our ceremonies is no concern of you Earth Born."
"I say it is!" Manny Halperin had been quiet until this explosion.
"It was a spiritual ceremony, Mr. Halperin. We have the freedom to practice what we will--"
"You got stoned and fucked your brains out!" Spittle flew from Halperin's mouth. "What the hell is so damned spiritual about that?"
"Do I have to answer that?" Aaron demanded.
"I'd appreciate it if you did," Zack said.
Aaron paused. When he spoke all of the incredible blowtorch intensity of his will was focused onto Zack.
"I didn't choose to come here," Aaron said, his voice so soft and low that they had to strain to hear it. "I didn't ask to be born not of woman. You brought us, and gave us a world filled with opportunity--"
"And dangers," Cadmann said quietly.
"Yes." Aaron smiled. "Dangers. You brought us here, into a situation which you couldn't possibly understand, a very dangerous situation indeed. And many of you died. Did you hold a tribunal then? Did you judge each other? Did you ask each other questions about how you prayed, on those nights?"
Damn straight we did. Cadmann wouldn't have spoken anyway--
"How dare you question us!" Aaron thundered. "How bloody god damn dare you! We are not your possessions. And I am not your child. Not the child of any of you. You made damned certain of that, didn't you? Not one of you would give me his name. My name came from a record book. The only place I could call home, the closest one of you I have to a father, is the man whose bones I picked up out there on that pass! You think you lost something out there? So did I!"
"Aaron," Julia Hortha said.
"No, ma'am, I won't calm down. Not this time! You hypocrites! You believed that because you fed us and clothed us and taught us we should be freezing grateful to you . . . well, we are. But don't tell me what god to worship, or how to worship It. It is none. Of. Your. Freezing. Business."
He had lowered himself so that both knuckles rested on the table, and he stared directly into Zack's face.
Then he stood up. "Of all of you, only Cadmann is a man," he said. "The rest of you can go to hell. Cadmann. You have always told me the truth. You have always spoken from your heart, not from some freezing rule book. What do you say?"
The entire room turned to look at Cadmann.
He felt small. Finally he spoke. "I lost a daughter," Cadmann said. "For reasons that are still unclear. But that was an accident, a result of another of the hideous secrets this planet conceals from us. I can't hold that against you. But you agreed to follow certain procedures. And you broke your word. We are a community, and a community must have its rules. We can't break away from that."
Aaron seemed to be hearing beyond the words, and gave the barest of nods to Cadmann. "And so?"
"And so," Zack said. "The mainland is off limits. There will be no human return there. Robotic probes will be devised to learn what needs to be learned. You'll help us design them. You'll help us ask the questions they will answer."
Aaron seemed to grow dark. "We lost one of ours. Administrator. We have a right to our revenge."
"You have no right!" Zack exploded. "Don't you understand what you represent?"
"We decline to represent anything! We're not your frozen fetuses anymore. We are living creatures, with our own wills, and our own needs! We are not your freezing children! WE are the future of this planet. You are its past."
"There will be no return."
Aaron glared at them. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something. Then he nodded curtly.
"Is that all, then?"
"It is," Zack said.
Aaron Tragon turned, heel-toe, and left the room.